Best Schools in Hemel Hempstead

How many schools are there in Hemel Hempstead?

Hemel Hempstead has 50 open schools: 34 state primary, 7 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 5 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hemel Hempstead are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Hemel Hempstead were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Woodfield School, Brockswood Primary School, Dacorum Education Support Centre and Two Waters Primary School. Counting Good as well, 98% of the 40 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Woodfield SchoolBrockswood Primary SchoolDacorum Education Support CentreTwo Waters Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hemel Hempstead get the best GCSE results?

Of the 6 schools in Hemel Hempstead with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at John F Kennedy Catholic School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.9 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Hemel Hempstead School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.3 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Longdean School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.7 and 40% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

John F Kennedy Catholic SchoolThe Hemel Hempstead SchoolLongdean School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hemel Hempstead have the best SATs results?

Of the 30 primary schools in Hemel Hempstead with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Brockswood Primary School (100% in reading, 93% in maths); and Bovingdon Primary Academy (94% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary SchoolBrockswood Primary SchoolBovingdon Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hemel Hempstead?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Hemel Hempstead selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hemel Hempstead have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hemel Hempstead have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Hemel Hempstead?

Apply to Hertfordshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.